How to Diagnose a Slipping Clutch in Your Car. Part of the series: Car Maintenance & Troubleshooting. A slipping clutch in a car can be diagnosed by observing a burning type smell during rapid acceleration and abrupt braking, hearing the engine rev more than usual and noticing the tachometer accelerating at a much higher rate than the speedometer. Discover the symptoms of a slipping clutch with automotive advice from an ASEcertified master mechanic in this free video on car maintenance. Read more: http://www.ehow.co.uk/video_4754387_d...